Description:
Currently a user has to run "dd" to copy an ISO image from file system
to media - and this runs the risk that the user destroys the harddisk
instead of the usb stick.
We should create some simple ways to do the copy. Some options: a) A
shell script that checks for one attached USB stick and copies the
image over to it. b) A boot entry on the media to copy the image to an
attached USB stick.
Option b) would allow me to download and create the image on one
machine and then put it to use on another one.

Discussion:
#1: Duncan Mac-Vicar (dmacvicar) (2009-11-18 12:47:56)
This is already implemented. At least I saw the Studio team having a
similar tool during their demos.

#2: Duncan Mac-Vicar (dmacvicar) (2009-11-18 12:48:43) (reply to #1)
(it does not work from the same media though but from the running
system, I find it a good idea to have the option in the boot menu
itself)

#3: Klaas Freitag (kfreitag) (2010-02-10 16:04:28)
Michal, could you check here what it would take us to implement one of
the solutions mentioned in #308352 and if they are sufficient?

#5: Matt Barringer (mbarringer) (2010-02-17 11:23:48)
I have moved the RPMs for the ImageWriter to the SUSE:SUSEStudio OBS
repository where they will be maintained. I think it would fulfill
this FATE request and missing features (.desktop files and hybrid ISO
detection) will be along shortly.

#6: Andreas Jaeger (a_jaeger) (2010-02-17 11:40:33) (reply to #5)
Cool! Matt, could you submit the package to openSUSE:Factory and set
the SUSE:SUSEStudio OBS repo as devel project?

#7: Matt Barringer (mbarringer) (2010-02-17 11:57:16) (reply to #6)
I've submitted the request, but I'm not very experienced with OBS so I
hope it worked :-)

#8: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-06-09 21:09:43) (reply to
#5)
Cool, too!
Where can I look at the "missing features"?
The dd part may include the most risk but this seems to me the least
difficult part compared with the creation of an second partition for a
live USB flash disk / USB stick with the ability to save at least some
things (especially my WLAN pasword ;-); only I could not understand why
the Software Manager wants to install so many things [and fails at the
first package]).
The explanation here was nothing I could follow or do with success:

#10: Matt Barringer (mbarringer) (2010-07-15 12:22:59) (reply to #8)
Currently the only missing features I've been asked for is the ability
to automatically decompress bzip'd raw images,and the ability to write
non-hybrid ISOs to USB keys, like UNetBootin does. Right now it's only
hybrid ISOs and raw disk images - so LiveCDs and SUSE Studio created
appliances, which is what this FATE entry was asking for.
I'll look through the links you've posted and see if I can add
partitioning functionality.

#11: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-07-15 18:52:04) (reply to
#10)
That would be nice.
But as I understand the latest editions in the linked wiki article (I
have not tested it jet):
With the (new) hybrid images and decompression the second partition
would be needed not so much - the meaning in that was in first and
foremost the ability to save your personal settings (wlan password
etc.) and data on the same (USB-) device and also to have a operating
system that is able to work on nearly any hardware without a real
installation procedure.
P.S.: Is the Kiwi ImageWriter a part of the (default) distribution
openSUSE 11.3 and jet described in the new wiki?
See:

#12: H. Hansen (cyberbeat) (2010-07-23 20:45:45)
it would be nice to use a casper file for persistent storage. this
would not destroy any fat filesystem on the stick, and the stick would
stay usable on other systems (windows). perhaps it would be possible
then to support that method in a gui tool with chooseable persistent
file size.

#13: Brandon Philips (philipsb) (2010-10-16 07:56:39)
Can we get imagewriter to be installed by default on the openSUSE 11.4?
It would certainly help in cases like this:

#14: Stephan Kulow (coolo) (2010-10-18 09:30:44) (reply to #13)
what makes you believe that he would have looked in the menu before
following the wrong and outdated documentation again just to get
frustrated? ;(

#15: Thomas Schmidt (digitaltomm) (2010-12-21 12:48:26)
Imagewriter is in Factory now, so I think we can close this.